


Laundry

by A_Writing_Pen



Category: Rurouni Kenshin
Genre: Gen, Ruroken Week, Ruroken Week 2014
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-16
Updated: 2014-06-16
Packaged: 2018-02-04 22:43:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1795906
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_Writing_Pen/pseuds/A_Writing_Pen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kenshin didn't think that his favorite house chore would ever mean something more.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Laundry

**Author's Note:**

> Day 2 | June 16: Friendship or Family

 

Kenshin put Kenji down for a nap. Kaoru had left on a training session at the Maekawa dojo, and as a result, the three year old stayed with his father and he lamented the fact. While he wouldn’t admit it to Kaoru, Kenshin was thankful when Kenji tired himself with crying; the hair pulling was one thing, but his wailing, that left his eyes puffy and snot running down his nose, was worse. Kenshin hoped Kenji would eventually grow out of it, but days like these sometimes made him wonder

With Kenji asleep, Kenshin still had the laundry to finish. To keep an eye on Kenji, Kenshin had placed him on a clean blanket in a large basin. Kenji’s small size allowed him to fit perfectly within the laundry bin. Only a year and half ago Kenji could use the bin as a play pen, now his feet touched the rim as he lay curled up on his side. Soon he wouldn’t be able to fit at all.

There was something comforting in how they could share this past time together, even if Kenji spent it sleeping. Maybe when he stopped fussing for long enough, and certainly when Kenji was older, they could find a hobby together rather than napping and laundry. But he wasn’t sure what that would be. His time with his own family was short lived, mostly buried in his subconscious of early childhood and disconnected memories of his later childhood. After that he was with slavers, which he preferred not to remember, and then he was training with Hiko.

His father was a farmer, who spent most of his time in the field and then made Kenshin and his siblings work in the fields when they were old enough. Aside from farming he only had a few startling clear memories of his father, such as when he gave him a toy top from a passing vendor and one night when he awoke to urinate and found his father outside in his sleepwear just staring up at the stars. With Hiko, most of his time revolved around training or chores. But Kenshin wasn’t a farmer and when Kenji was old enough to practice the sword, it would be his mother’s style.

Lost in thought he picked up another yukata and began washing it in the water basin. As a boy, he hated the chores that Hiko left for him because they were tedious and he was clearly doing more of the workload for the both of them. His fondness for laundry was one of the many things that had changed for him since then. Reflecting on the changes in his life through his boyhood, he held the wet garment in his hands long after he had finished washing it. His thoughts were interrupted by a light tugging on the garment. The hand of a groggy three year old clutched the corner of the garment, while he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes with the other. Kenji yawned then tugged the garment again, this time up in the direction of the clothesline above.

“There.” He said now pulling harder on the garment.                                          

When Kenshin didn’t move, Kenji got out of the basin, pulled the wet garment from Kenshin’s hand, and reached as far as he could to reach the clothesline. But he was still too short by several feet. For all his efforts Kenji only succeeded in splashing himself with water as droplets feel from the corners. “Pwuah” he said and wiped his face with his sleeve. Kenshin smiled and laughed faintly, causing Kenji to scowl.

But he didn’t for long. Kenshin picked up Kenji and held him up to clothesline, put the line now within reach. Kenji shook the garment in a similar fashion as Kenshin would, and dropped the wet garment with a plop onto the line. For the first time since Kaoru left, Kenshin heard Kenji squeal with glee. Putting the little boy down again, Kenshin picked up the next garment that needed washing but this time gave one end to Kenji while plunging the other into the water. Kenji did the same and they were both scrubbing the garment, Kenji splashing water out of the basin more to play than to actually wash. But the cleanliness of the garment wasn’t what really mattered to Kenshin at that moment.


End file.
